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Before I get to the FAQs:Check out readergirlz tomorrow; Graceling is the featured book in September.

Okay, here goes.

1. Does Katsa loiter? Does she lurk in the corner of your mind and say things like, "That is so not how I would do it!" (for example)?*smile* No, she really doesn't. None of my characters do. There is a very clear line between me/my life and my characters/their lives, and when I think about my characters, they're always in their own world, not mine. I wish this did happen now and then, though. There are plenty of times when my characters would make better decisions about how to handle certain situations than I would. I could really use some tips from them :o)

2. I'm writing a book. It's slow going at times to try to keep my focus. I feel like I can see ahead to more exciting parts of the story, while right now I'm trying to set up the setting, which can be tedious. Do you have any suggestions for this? Should I skip ahead and wri…

Sarah Miller posted this poem on her lovely blog last January and it wowed me so much that I printed it out and stuck it on my wall. Sarah, thanks for introducing me to a poem that I love every single day.

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,some momentary awareness comesas an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,who violently sweep your houseempty of its furniture,still, treat each guest honorably.He may be clearing you outfor some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,meet them at the door, laughing,and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,because each has been sentas a guide from beyond.

WARNING: Today's post is all business, so if you don't want to read about release dates, my blog tour, my regular tour, reviews (with stars upon thars), interviews, how to read the first 3 chapters of Fire online, etc., etc., please just skip this BORING post and scroll down to read about cool stuff like babies and translations or to vote in my extremely relevant birthday poll.

Okay, here goes! Firstly, I am proud to report that Fire has received starred reviews from The Horn Book, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal, and a gold star from the Romantic Times. *blushes* I've finally gotten around to creating a page of Fire review excerpts; see the link on the left or just click here. (BTW. If you notice that it or any of my other Quick Links are dated 2/28/08... that's just the date I randomly give Quick Link posts, so that they don't pop up as new posts and clog people's read…

Step 1: Open up a new tab and get this song playing on youtube ("C'est la Vie", by Cameroonian artist Henri Dikongué).

Step 2: Come back here, and, unless you speak French ^_^, check out the English translation of the lyrics.

A birth, a cryA pain, a noiseA body so soft, my friendA heart that beats, life

I would like to stopOn this happy moment that you have given meThis bursting forth of your fragilityDoes not cease to amaze meSweeping, sweeping, sweepingLeave my distress behindEverything seems beautiful, everything seems lightAs if the world has changed

(2x) That's life, lifeLife oh, life ehIt is good, divine friendWe look it over and we smile

A caress, a joyA smile, a voiceA trembling hand and meA soul that lives from you

I would like to say thank youFor this moment you have granted meIt is as if I were never bornBefore this infant, newbornSweeping, sweeping, sweepingThe wounds of my pastEverything seems beautiful, everything seems lightAs if the world had changed

Changing topic... I've been having some great exchanges with my Korean translator for Graceling, Yoon Hoh, as she works through some of the trickiest parts to translate. At a certain point, I realized that you guys might find this stuff interesting, so I asked her permission to share some of it. I never really thought about the challenges of translating before, but... well, here are some examples:

First, there are the words I made up for the book. The first time Yoon contacted me, it was to ask me to explain what "borderlords" and "underlords" are.

I was able to explain borderlords pretty easily -- they're lords who live on a kingdom's border, i.e., Lord Davit is a Middluns borderlord because his Middluns estate is right near the Nanderan and Estillan borders.

But... underlords? *...* What the hell is an underlord, and why did I make up such a silly word? I had to go back to the text -- thank goodness, I have the pdf…

I'm going to share one of my all-time favorite passages from Pride and Prejudice. Some context: Lizzy is excited about her upcoming tour of the Lakes with her aunt and uncle, but wishes her sister Jane could come along.

"But it is fortunate,” thought she, “that I have something to wish for. Were the whole arrangement complete, my disappointment would be certain. But here, by carrying with me one ceaseless source of regret in my sister’s absence, I may reasonably hope to have all my expectations of pleasure realized. A scheme of which every part promises delight, can never be successful; and general disappointment is only warded off by the defense of some little peculiar vexation."

I think about that passage whenever my perfect peace is ruined by "little peculiar vexations." The vexations help me keep perspective, yanno? I just moved into a new home. I LOVE IT. But it's not perfect, and right now, the little vexation that annoys me and kicks me into reali…

Kristin Cashore wrote the New York Times bestsellers Graceling, Fire, Bitterblue, and Jane, Unlimited. Graceling is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature and Fire is the winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award. The books are world travelers, currently scheduled to be published in thirty-four languages.

***

"Then, at last, sitting on her stretcher-bed, she took from the very bottom of her pack an old peacock-blue scarf folded around a heavy, square book. She unwrapped it and opened it very carefully, as if guilty secrets might fall from between its pages like pressed flowers. This was Harry's secret. She was a writer."

-from The Tricksters, by Margaret Mahy

Writing is my secret. Every day I unwrap and open it as carefully as I can. Welcome to my blog about writing and life! Above you'll find quick links about me and my books, and below is more about me, ways to subscribe, and an archive of past posts. Click here to go home to my most recent posts.

Finally, a note: This blog is my only online presence. I am not on Facebook, Google+, or any other social media sites, and I use Twitter mainly as an amalgamation feed for my blog. Sorry, but I do not read @-replies on Twitter!